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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAntiracism, Our Flawed New Religion
John McWhorterOpposition to racism used to be a political stance. Now it has every marking of a religion, with both good and deleterious affects on American society.
An anthropology article from 1956 used to get around more than it does now, Body Ritual Among the Nacirema. Because my mother gave it to me to read when I was 13, of course what I remember most from it is that among the Nacirema, women with especially large breasts get paid to travel and display them. Nacirema was American spelled backwardsget it?and the idea was to show how revealing, and even peculiar, our society is if described from a clinical distance.
These days, there is something else about the Naciremathey have developed a new religion. That religion is antiracism. Of course, most consider antiracism a position, or evidence of morality. However, in 2015, among educated Americans especially, Antiracismit seriously merits capitalization at this pointis now what any naïve, unbiased anthropologist would describe as a new and increasingly dominant religion. It is what we worship, as sincerely and fervently as many worship God and Jesus and, among most Blue State Americans, more so.
To someone today making sense of the Nacirema, the category of person who, roughly, reads the New York Times and the New Yorker and listens to NPR would be a deeply religious person indeed, but as an Antiracist. This is good in some waysbetter than most are in a position to realize. This is also bad in other waysworse than most are in a position to realize.
***
For example, Ta-Nehisi Coates, now anointed as James Baldwins heir by Toni Morrison, is formally classified as a celebrated writer. However, the particulars of his reception in our moment reveal that Coates is, in the Naciremian sense, a priest. Coates is revered, as New York magazine aptly puts it, as someone gifted at phrasing, repeating, and crafting artful variations upon points that are considered crucialthat is, scripture. Specifically, Coates is celebrated as the writer who most aptly expresses the scripture that Americas past was built on racism and that racism still permeates the national fabric.
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http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/07/27/antiracism-our-flawed-new-religion.html
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Antiracism, Our Flawed New Religion (Original Post)
DonViejo
Jul 2015
OP
GeorgeGist
(25,321 posts)1. TD; DR.
OriginalGeek
(12,132 posts)5. lol
you made the right call.
Smarmie Doofus
(14,498 posts)2. Interesting . Kicking to read later. Like the header. n/t
Adrahil
(13,340 posts)3. This article had an odd smell to to it...
Then I checked out some others articles by this dude. My fave?
"Paul Ryans New Plan Is a Good One, Especially for Black People"
OOOOOKKKKKAAAAAAYYYYYYYY.......
As I back slowly away.
Starry Messenger
(32,342 posts)4. Someone is jealous his book isn't #1 on the bestseller list.
http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/hardcover-nonfiction/list.html
Green isn't a very nice shade on you McWhorter.
Green isn't a very nice shade on you McWhorter.